Sindh High Court orders formation of JIT over May 12 mayhem

The Sindh High Court has ordered formation of a joint investigation team to probe the May 12 riots.

More than 50 people were killed and over 100 injured the the attacks on rallies by different political parties and lawyers who had attempted to receive the then deposed chief justice, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, at Jinnah International Airport in Karachi ahead of a lawyers’ gathering.

During a hearing over the clashes, justices Iqbal Kalhoro and KK Agha also ordered formation of a judicial tribunal for investigation.

The two-member bench also sought a report from the Sindh government over payment of compensation to those injured during the clashes and families of the ones who lost their lives.

Moreover, the judges reopened 65 cases related to the same incident that were closed earlier. The bench also requested SHC Chief Justice Ahmed Ali Shah to appoint a judge in order to monitor the reopened cases.

The formation of a judicial commission was requested by petitioner Iqbal Kazmi, which was supported by the federal government and legal advisers but opposed by the Sindh government.

On May 12, 2007 a major portion of Karachi’s main artery, Shahra-e-Faisal, turned into a battlefield when rival political groups clashed with each other soon after the arrival of the then chief justice of Pakistan. Due to the clashed, the former chief justice did not move ahead from the lounge of the airport and returned to Islamabad without addressing a lawyers’ convention at Sindh High Court.

The thoroughfare was to be used by the procession of the then chief justice, but was made completely inaccessible to commuters as all the intersections were blocked by large containers and trucks.